In this episode, I discuss the current topics of polarization and cancel culture and explore the roots of these phenomena and what the consequences are.
We build realities.
Everyone is a victim in their own story. Constantly position themselves as the central character on the side of good. Moral center of their own story.
WHY WE CANCEL:
Cancelled i “to dismiss something or somebody; to reject an individual or an idea.” Essentially, this practice encourages a community to blackball, isolate and shun an individual from society
Projection: They are like that (even though it is me)
Compensation: Makes me better
Distraction: They won’t know I’m bad.
Revenge: They probably deserve it
Generalization: They are the problem
Censorship: Ideas are dangerous
Social Proof: Others think this
Martyrdom: a display of feigned or exaggerated suffering to obtain sympathy or admiration
VIRTUE SIGNALLING: the action or practice of publicly expressing opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate one’s good character or the moral correctness of one’s position on a particular issue.
Virtue shaming: ” If you really cared, then you’d donate/volunteer/etc.” Stuff like that. Basically the idea is that there must be an ulterior motive behind any public display of compassion.
Moral posturing is therefore to take a public moral stance on an issue. This can sometimes result in holier than thou behaviour, but also hypocritical behaviour.
Moral superiority is the belief or attitude that one’s position and actions are justified by having higher moral values than others.
Righteousness: the quality of being morally right or justifiable.
Justification: the action of showing something to be right or reasonable.
POLARIZING BIAS
Either you are FOR or AGAINST
No more nuance.
Extreme or Nothing.
Attention goes to the extreme.
Availability Bias… we think that’s the case.
WHERE DO WE STAND?
2 OPTIONS 2 GROUPS
GROUPTHINK
FRIENDS INCAPABLE OF APOLOGY. ALWAYS HAVE TO BE RIGHT.
SOLUTIONS:
Learn to live in the middle
Stay vigilant
Remember Socrates Lesson
If people pick a fight:
Don’t engage
If you do engage… focus on facts and question sources and evidence
Communicate balance constantly
If people try and cancel you
Avoid engaging is possible
If you must – BE CLEAR about what you said and meant.
Understand if people were hurt by what you said and if so apologize sincerely and clearly
If people are attacking you for their own righteousness or virtue signalling then take the wind out of their stream.
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